Release Date: 4/22/08

The Film

Cloverfield is one of the first films that had me really wondering what the heck was going on during its Internet driven viral video campaign. Yes, the rumors were out there: from the film being based on the Voltron cartoons, to God knows what else. However, when the dust settled (it never really settled until the film was released theatrically), I came to anticipate the J.J. Abrams produced monster movie more and more. I am a huge fan of Lost and even that last Mission Impossible with Abrams at the helm, so this movie had a lot to live up to in terms of excitement and captivating characters. So did it live up to my expectations? It sure did as audiences were given glimpses of a mysterious life form wreaking absolute havoc on The Big Apple.

The premise of the film is a simple one: a giant monster has found its way to Manhattan and is simply destroying everything in its path. Much like the Japanese Godzilla films, we’re given very little background on the beast. The entire film itself is shown from the prospective of a partygoer who happens to be documenting testimonials for a friend of his who will be moving to Japan soon. So as the characters themselves do not know what’s going on, neither do we, which lends itself to the realism of their actions and the events of the film. Of course, that also means we’re subject to plenty of shaky camera shots and odd angles as the camera is tossed around and put down. You get used to it after a while, but there are also definitely moments we’re it’s outright disorienting. Just remember how The Blair Witch Project was filmed, and you’ve got the idea.

So what sets Cloverfield apart from other monster movies? Well, right off the bat, the story here is a realistic one, even if we’re dealing with a giant monster knocking the head off the Statue of Liberty. The characters are lost in a state of the unknown while trying to get away from the source of danger and at the same time, they’re trying to save one of their own. Not once does it feel like they’re doing anything unrealistic or unfeasible. The monster itself is handled perfectly as we’re given glimpses of this menacing force and his little minions that seem to infect anything they bite. Essentially, we’re put in an extraordinary situation with some likeable and realistic characters that do what we would probably do in the same situations. Our senses and emotions are put through the wringer as they run through the city, search for loved ones, and finally accept their fates.

The DVD

The main menu comes with footage from the film playing in the background with sound while submenus are silent with static backgrounds.

The video is offered in 1.85:1 Widescreen Format. Because of the intended raw handy-cam presentation, the film looks exactly how it’s supposed to look with only minimal instances of DVD transferring issues. The picture is supposed to look like an amateur shot it, and succeeds in portraying the hectic race against an unknown monster.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0, and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0. There is a good deal of immersive and positional sound, which is a very good thing considering the video presentation of the film. With all the crashing, banging, booming, gunfire, and bazookas, I fully expected to be right in the middle of the action, and the DVD did not disappoint at all. Perfectly mixed, this is a top rate audio track.

The Extras

Audio Commentary is provided by director Matt Reeves which is nice and all, but I would have really loved it if J.J. Abrams took a seat as well in the commentary booth.

Document 01.18.08: The Making ofCloverfield provides a girthy 28-minute feature that takes us from the development stage of the film to production. Interviews with the cast and crew are offered.

Next up are a couple of pieces that take us to the visual effects behind the film: Cloverfield Visual Effects (22:28) and I Saw It! It’s Alive! It’s Huge! (5:51). We are taken behind the scenes on how the crew was able to virtually destroy Manhattan and the design process of the monster

There are 5 Deleted Scenes and 2 Alternate Endings, both with optional commentary from Reeves. Overall, the deleted scenes appear to ad-libbed dialogue that were cut for pacing issues while the alternate conclusions were hugely disappointing. For a film like this, the endings could have gone in a hundred directions, and that’s what I was expecting. Unfortunately, what’s offered is no more different than what we got to see in theatres.

The bonus options round out with 4-minutes of bloopers entitled Clover Fun.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t think I’d enjoy Cloverfield as much as I did with all the hype behind the elusive monster and it’s handheld camerawork. However, I found the film to be a worthy American monster movie to its Japanese counterparts. All the emotions of despair and fear are perfectly portrayed in this Blair Witch meets Godzilla hybrid. Combined with a healthy serving of bonus options, this is a no-brainer next time you’re wondering what to pick up at the DVD store.

- Morris Tang